QFD | Holy Fire, Strange Fire

Holy Fire, Strange Fire

There is a flame that begins in the throne room of God—pure, radiant, untamed by human preference. And then there is another flame, one kindled in the workshops of human minds, shaped by logic, polished by argument, and raised to the altar as though it deserved the same reverence. Both flames glow. Both flames warm. Both flames move the worshiper.

But only one is holy.

Nadab and Abihu were not strangers to worship. They were priests—trained, appointed, and familiar with God’s ways. Yet something subtle occurred in the sanctuary. They lifted a fire “which He had not commanded,” and the consequence was immediate:

“Then fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.”—Leviticus 10:2 (ESV)

They offered worship shaped by their decision, not God’s instruction. Their error was not spectacular rebellion. It was simple substitution. Holy fire replaced by human fire.

Across history, that pattern repeats—not with censers, but with ideas.

The Strange Fire of Theological Systems

In our age, the “strange fire” most often takes the shape of theological systems that rise above biblical simplicity.

Calvinism.Arminianism.Lutheranism.Catholicism.Restorationism.Dispensationalism.Reformed traditions. Charismatic frameworks. Even the very movements meant to restore New Testament Christianity can drift into their own complex structures.

None are immune.

The problem is not doctrine. Doctrine is vital.

The problem is when systems begin functioning as:

• the authority

• the filter

• the framework

• the interpreter

• the judge

• the measure of faith

• the definer of salvation

• the substitute for obedience

• the glue of consistency rather than Scripture

And slowly, quietly, subtly, the believer begins approaching God not with holy fire—but with systematic fire.

There is a simplicity to the gospel that systems often overshadow:

• Repent. (Acts 17:30)

• Believe. (Romans 10:17)

• Confess. (Romans 10:9–10)

• Be baptized. (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16)

• Walk faithfully. (Revelation 2:10)

Not theoretical. Not abstract. Not philosophical. Not systematized.

Obedience. Humility .Faithfulness. Endurance.

Perhaps that is why Jesus said:

“My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”—Matthew 11:30 (ESV)

But over time, people traded simplicity for elegance, clarity for complexity, obedience for framework. This is where strange fire emerges—not from wicked intention, but from replacing God’s pattern with our own theological architecture.

When Systems Become Filters

The first danger is subtle:

Systems become lenses that interpret Scripture rather than Scripture interpreting itself.

• Instead of reading what God said, people read what their system expects Him to say.

• Instead of asking, “What is written?” they ask, “How does this fit in my framework?”

• Instead of allowing Scripture to challenge belief, belief is used to challenge Scripture.

This is where holy fire becomes strange fire. God’s revelation becomes subordinate to human arrangement. Nadab and Abihu did not reject God outright—they redefined His command.

Systems often do the same.

When Assurance Comes From Frameworks Instead of Faithfulness

The next danger is even more serious.

Certain systems offer a kind of prepackaged assurance:

• “If you are elect, you are guaranteed salvation.”

• “If you prayed the prayer, you can never fall.”

• “If you belong to the right church, you are safe.”

• “If your theology aligns with the system, you are fine.”

But assurance in Scripture is not tied to frameworks—it is tied to faithfulness:

“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”—Revelation 2:10 (ESV)

“If indeed you continue in the faith…”—Colossians 1:23 (ESV)

“Make your calling and election sure.”—2 Peter 1:10 (ESV)

Whenever a system grants confidence separate from faithfulness, repentance, or holiness, it replaces the altar of God with the altar of doctrine. It becomes an unauthorized fire—warm, comforting, admired, but not commanded.

When Salvation Becomes Theoretical Instead of Obedient

A third danger emerges: salvation becomes theory rather than obedience.

Examples:

• “God regenerates you before you can believe.”

• “Obedience is a sign of salvation, not a condition for it.”

• “Baptism is symbolic, not necessary.”

• “Repentance happens automatically when you are saved.”

• “Faithfulness is optional because grace is irresistible.”

Such teachings detach salvation from repentance, baptism, confession, endurance, and actual transformation. They turn the cross into a concept rather than a covenant. They exalt theory over command.

But Scripture does not paint salvation as theoretical.

It speaks in verbs:

• Deny yourself. (Luke 9:23)

• Take up your cross. (Mark 8:34)

• Obey the gospel. (2 Thessalonians 1:8)

• Present your bodies as a living sacrifice. (Romans 12:1)

• Walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)

Salvation is not a mental structure. It is a life of obedience.

The Simplicity of the Gospel

When Paul feared the Corinthians drifting, he described the problem this way:

“I am afraid… your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”—2 Corinthians 11:3 (NASB)

Simplicity is not naivety. It is clarity.

The gospel is:

• clear enough for the uneducated

• profound enough for the scholar

• demanding enough for the proud

• comforting enough for the broken

Systems often cloud what Scripture makes plain.

Systems generate strange fire when they:

• promise salvation without repentance

• offer grace without transformation

• preach faith without obedience

• extend assurance without perseverance

• exalt doctrines above the commands of Christ

This is not the fire God lights.

A Quiet Inward Examination

So the question becomes deeply personal:

• Is my faith shaped by the Word—or by a system?

• Do I believe what Scripture says—or what I was handed?

• Do I defend the Bible—or the framework I built around the Bible?

• Have I confused theological certainty with spiritual obedience?

• Is my worship God-shaped or system-prescribed?

Holiness begins when we lay down our systems at the foot of the cross.

CLOSING REFLECTION

Not all fire is holy fire. Some fire comforts. Some fire deceives. Some fire is admired by men and rejected by God.

Strange fire always begins the same way:

Something human replaces something divine.

Theological systems are not sinful. But they become dangerous the moment they stand between God’s Word and God’s people.

So today, sit quietly with one question:

“Is the flame I bring to God lit by His Word… or by my own system?”

Let the question linger. Let it unsettle. Let it purify.

Holiness requires Scripture.

Holiness requires obedience.

Holiness requires surrender.

And holiness requires fire—but only the kind He commands.